Centene Corporation $CNC Position Boosted by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its holdings in shares of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) by 59.0% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 29,353 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,894 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Centene were worth $961,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centene during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in Centene in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position in Centene by 118.4% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 749 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 406 shares in the last quarter. Bayban acquired a new position in Centene during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Centene during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 93.63% of the company’s stock.

Centene Stock Performance

Shares of CNC opened at $62.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $63.87 and its 200-day moving average is $50.27. Centene Corporation has a 12-month low of $25.08 and a 12-month high of $69.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.07.

Centene (NYSE:CNC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $1.42. The business had revenue of $53.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.64 billion. Centene had a negative net margin of 2.51% and a positive return on equity of 12.12%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.16) earnings per share. Centene has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.800- EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Centene Corporation will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on CNC. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $65.00 price target (up from $47.00) on shares of Centene in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen raised Centene from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $80.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Centene in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded Centene from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Centene from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $53.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $67.00.

More Centene News

Here are the key news stories impacting Centene this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and raised outlook: Centene reported adjusted earnings of $2.51 per share, well above the $1.09 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.9% year over year to $53.58 billion. The insurer also raised its 2026 earnings outlook to at least $4.80 per share, citing contained medical costs. Centene Lifts 2026 Outlook as Insurer Contains Medical Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support has strengthened: Zacks Research upgraded CNC from “hold” to “strong buy,” while Truist maintained its buy rating. Robert W. Baird also expects the stock to rise, providing additional support for the recent rally. Zacks.com Truist Financial Keeps Their Buy Rating on Centene
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and valuation remain favorable: Zacks included Centene among its Rank #1 momentum stocks, and other analyses describe CNC as potentially undervalued following its earnings recovery. These reports may attract momentum and value-oriented investors. Best Momentum Stock to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative investment appeal: A comparison with UnitedHealth favors UNH because of its diversified platform, Optum growth and artificial-intelligence investments. The assessment does not identify a new negative development at Centene but could limit CNC’s appeal among managed-care investors. UnitedHealth vs. Centene
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid and membership concerns persist: Coverage highlights declining membership and ongoing Medicaid-related pressure, which could challenge revenue growth and margins even as medical-cost trends improve. Medicaid Weighs on Centene

Centene Profile

Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) is a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise that specializes in providing services to government-sponsored and national health programs. The company primarily acts as a managed care organization, delivering healthcare coverage and administering benefits for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare Advantage, and individual marketplace plans. Centene also contracts with federal and state agencies to manage specialty care programs and community-based services for vulnerable populations.

Centene’s offerings extend beyond traditional insurance to include a range of specialty and support services.